Almost everyone in Singapore knows English, the officially preferred choice among the country's official languages. A large number speak it amongst themselves on a day-to-day basis (though Mandarin, Tamil, and Malay are also very commonly heard). However, when you overhear Singaporeans speaking English together, it can sometime take a minute or two to realize it's actually English. The local dialect is very clipped (final consonants almost always omitted) and heavily spiced with Chinese words ("lah") and grammar habits.

Most people can turn it on and off at will when talking to foreigners (just like a Jamaican in New York, for instance), but still there is some concern that the quality or style of English in use is deteriorating and making Singaporeans less comprehensible to the outside world than they were in the time of "proper" English schools run by people from England. Personally, i love the accent - it adds character and it's easy enough to understand once you get a little bit used to it.

This sign refers to people to the web site of the Speak Good English Movement, which seems to be a response to a call by the Prime Minister in 1999 for Singaporeans to brush up on their English. The number of government officials on the board suggests that perhaps the formation of the "movement" was strongly urged through back channels. That, or some people saw an opportunity for career advancement.

For an example of Singaporean English (or "Singlish", as it's frequently called), check out some of their online English lessons, which include transcripts and audio.